Travelers Hiking Mountain at 3 AM Praise Cat Who ‘Guided’ Them to Summit

A video showing an unlikely guide leading a group of hikers through the Swiss Alps in the early hours of the morning has taken the internet by storm.
The clip, posted by user @vivyanne_le on July 10, shows a cat walking confidently along a mountain path, leading the hikers through the breathtaking terrain.
Text overlaid on the video said, “To the cat who guided us up the Swiss Alps at 3am for our sunrise hike, I think about you often and I hope you’re living your best life.”
The footage has amassed 2.8 million views and more than 1,000 comments, with one viewer writing, “That’s a forest spirit.”
Newsweek has contacted @vivyanne_le for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
The Alps, which cover two-thirds of Switzerland, are the country’s largest geographical area. The mountain range stretches from Lake Geneva in the west to the Austrian border in the east, and the Swiss Alps boast 48 mountain peaks above 4,000 meters and numerous lakes, according to Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Alps are a major destination for tourists worldwide, offering not only scenic beauty but also challenging hikes. With many Alpine passes and tunnels serving as key transit routes, the Alps remain a hub for outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers.
The allure of outdoor activities, such as hiking, has been on the rise globally, with many people turning to nature for adventure and solace. In the United States, 61 million people were reported to have engaged in hiking activities at least once in 2023, according to data compiled by Statista. This marks a significant growth of about 89 percent since 2010, with outdoor activity seeing a boom following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Outdoor Industry Association reported that participation in outdoor recreation surged by 26 percent during the pandemic, as people sought safe, socially distant ways to stay active and connected to nature. In 2021, more than 164 million Americans aged 6 and older participated in outdoor recreation at least once, the highest number on record, according to the OIA.
The TikTok video featuring the feline guide appears to have resonated with viewers, receiving more than 577,000 likes.
One viewer called the cat a “spirit guide,” while another said it was “definitely some sorta guardian.”
“She was a fairy,” a user said, and another described the cat as a “hiking traveler in their past life.”
“This is the beginning to a great fairy tale,” a commenter wrote.
Another added: “He’s living his best life. I just know it. To be a Swiss Alps hiking cat guide. The dream.”
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